Mirrors tend to turn black around the edges as they age. The source of the black age is traced to the production of the mirror. When a mirror is made, a silver nitrate solution is applied to the cleaned surface of clear glass which forms a silver film reflective surface on the glass. This silver nitrate application transforms glass into mirror. The silver film applied to glass is extremely thin. It can be scratched, damaged by chemicals, or attacked by particles in the air. During manufacturing the back surface of the film receives a coating of copper sulfate to protect the reflective surface from damage and contaminates. The copper sulfate then receives a coat of protective paint. During installation of the mirrors it is not unusual for the seal of the protective coating to be damaged particularly on the edges of the mirror where the seal is extremely thin. By its very nature the silver nitrate and the copper sulfate react to contaminates in the air. The silver nitrate and copper sulfate also react with ambient moisture and corrosive cleaning agents. The reaction causes oxidation. As mirrors age, the edge becomes subject to increased degradation and discoloration through oxidation. The degradation is usually observed as a darkening of the edge region of the mirror. It may take a long time for an entire mirror to become completely unusable, but the degradation of the edge may occur in a relatively short amount of time and the mirror may be unsightly.
There have been attempts at covering the edge region of the degraded mirrors. They have met with varying degrees of success.
However, one aspect of cosmetic mirror improvement has been neglected. Mirrors typically are held in place by a mounting. Often, the mounting contacts the mirror on the side facing the user. There is a need for an edge-covering article that may be used with conventional mirror mountings.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that may allow a non-skilled user to cover the edges of mirror where said apparatus may be used with conventional mirror clamps.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method that allows a non-skilled user to cover the edges of mirror where said method employs the use of an apparatus may be used with conventional mirror clamps.